An Unforeseen Circumstance
by AngelofAir
Summary: It's no secret that Jace got around before he met Clary. But he always took the necessary precautions...right? When one slip up leaves a mundane girl feeling alone and carrying a Shadowhunter child, Jace has to make a decision: Acknowledge that the baby is his and suffer the consequences of the Clave (and Clary), or leave the poor girl and now-powerful child stranded and confused.
1. The Letter

**I just come up with the most evil plots…**

* * *

"Let's go somewhere different," Clary said, leaning into Jace's shoulder on the L train. "We always go to Taki's."

Jace laughed, squeezing her hand. "Something wrong with Taki's? Or does Kaelie's incessant flirting just make you jealous?" He leaned down. "You're adorable when you're jealous, you know," he said in a low voice.

Turning red, Clary slapped him away, muttering something that sounded a lot like "She's a dumb whore."

Her boyfriend laughed again, making all the girls on the train sigh and giggle, which made Clary want to take Jace's seraph blades and silence them forever. She wished she could make a sort of rune to put on him that made him appear ugly to everyone but her and the Lightwoods, but her power didn't work like that. Her wish was way too selfish. "But that's not why I don't want to go to Taki's," she said. "I just want a change of scenery."

Jace grinned. "Okay then. You pick." His voice was tinged with amusement.

* * *

In the end, they went to Olive Garden. Clary had wanted something completely mundane that reminded her of her childhood, although Jace was being incredibly snooty about it.

"This isn't even a real Italian restaurant," he scoffed, looking at the menu.

"So?" Clary retorted. "The food tastes good. That's all I'm concerned about." As if to prove her statement, she shoved a breadstick in her mouth, making Jace smirk.

"Clarissa Fray," he said, shaking his head. "Didn't your mother ever teach you your manners?"

"Nope." Clary noticed the mischievous glint in his eye. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked hesitantly.

His smirk widened. "Oh, no reason." He grinned. "It's just…if you can fit that whole breadstick in your mouth…" He winked at her.

Clary stared at him blankly for a moment before her jaw dropped as she realized what he was saying. "Oh my god, Jace," she said in disgust. "That's _gross._"

"You think this beautiful body is gross?" he asked in mock horror. "Why am I dating you, again?"

Clary rolled her eyes and took a sip of water, muttering a string of curses into her drink, avoiding Jace's immensely amused eyes.

* * *

Jace watched Clary as she disappeared into her house, shutting the door behind her with one last wave to him. He wished he could have gone inside with her, slept by her side. Held her in his arms. Bury his face in her hair. But, of course, he couldn't. As long as she was in Jocelyn's house, she was subject to Jocelyn's rules. It was a good thing, he supposed. If Clary was living with him at the Institute, he didn't know if he'd ever be able to do anything without her. He'd never get anything done. He'd always be holding her hand, brushing his fingers across her spotted shoulders, kissing her where everyone could see just because he could. Because they weren't brother and sister. Because he wasn't dead. Because he wasn't possessed. Because he hadn't be kidnapped. Because he no longer had heavenly fire coursing like a river through his veins.

The door opened again, causing Jace's heart to skip a beat—but it was only Luke, a small, amused smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Jace," he said, suppressing a laugh. "Go home and sleep. She'll be here tomorrow, I promise."

Jace blinked his thoughts away and nodded, spinning on his heel and heading toward the subway.

* * *

"Jace…" A weary-looking Maryse greeted him as he stepped out of the old, rackety elevator, slipping his socked feet out of his boots. "Alec was given a letter for you today, while he was on his way to Magus's," she said, holding out an envelope. "From some girl named Charity?"

Jace furrowed his brow and took the envelope, examining the bubbly handwriting on the front with puzzlement. "I don't know any girl named Charity," he said, walking past Maryse to his room.

Once inside, he tore the envelope open with a letter-opener that had apparently belonged to an ancestor. The initials E.H. were carved into the hilt of the small blade in black, scrawling lettering. He dropped the empty envelope into his trash can and held the letter up to the witchlight.

_Dear Jace,_

_You better be the Jace I'm looking for, because I have been hunting you down for the past five months. I doubt you remember me. I hardly remember you. I was drunk…I'm pretty sure we were both drunk. You were drunk too, weren't you?_

_Anyway. Do you remember that night in early June? At that bar on Bushwick Ave? You picked up a girl with long black hair and brown eyes and dragged her into the back with you? She was wearing a red corset top and blue skinny jeans, with four inch black heels. Remember her? That was me. Remember what we did? I doubt you do. You seem like the kind of guy who picks up girls, has his way with them, and dumps them on the street without giving them so much as a name to remember him by or a phone number. Which is exactly what you did._

_I don't expect you to help me. I just have a few questions. _

_First, you should know, that about four months ago, I started puking every morning. Yeah. I'm pregnant. Your baby. Thanks for that. When I went to the doctor to be tested, he said the strangest things. He said that the baby was setting off some of his machines, like it had this eerie power or something. And then I started seeing things. I started seeing men and women with these pale, ageless faces grinning at me with needle-like teeth. I saw girls with long, claw-like nails and yellow eyes. The worst was I saw this…this thing, slithering on the ground. It was black and slimy. And then some girl with red hair jumped out in front of it, all dressed in this weird, black outfit, and she pulled out this sword that glowed really bright and she sliced the thing in half._

_I don't know what's happening to me. But it's been happening ever since we screwed around in the bathroom of that bar. And now I have this…kid…inside of me and it's breaking the machines every time I go to the doctor and its life could be in jeopardy and I'd have no way of finding out, because I can't. _

_If I belong in a mental institution, don't bother writing back. They'll probably put me in one anyway. But…if all this does have something to do with you…please, clear this up. I'm begging you. Just help me and then you can walk out of my life forever and screw other girls' lives up. _

_Sincerely,_

_Charity Giselle Banks_

Jace stared at the letter as if it were made of poison. His face was as white as a sheet of paper, his hands trembling slightly.

"By the Angel," he whispered to himself. "What have I done?"

* * *

**Okay, so…short chapter! It was background info. If you like this idea, let me know! If you hate it and think I should never write again…let me know! Seriously though. Criticism would be great. Review, my lovelies!**


	2. Charity

**17 reviews for one chapter?! …Think all y'all can beat that for this chapter? 35 reviews (total) gets an early update and the 35****th**** reviewer gets a shoutout! PS. PLEASE READ AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END.**

* * *

"Wow," spoke an amused voice. "I have to admit, I didn't think you'd actually show up."

Jace turned slowly, his hands shoved in the pockets of his leather jacket. His golden hair was wet, raindrops glistening on his shoulders and his face. His eyes flickered like candles and the tip of a strength rune peeked out of the collar of his white t-shirt. The girl in front of him was very pretty, he supposed. She was exactly his "type." Well, the type he'd dated before Clary.

Before an ill-tempered little red-headed girl turned his entire world upside down.

The girl had long, black hair that curled gently down to her waist, her bangs cut in a perfectly straight line just above her eyebrows. She had big, almond eyes and honey-colored skin. She was tall—taller than Izzy, Jace thought—and she had a very hourglass-like figure. Then his eyes settled on her stomach. The girl hadn't been lying. She was pregnant. Definitely pregnant. Jace sighed. "Charity?"

Charity nodded and moved closer to him. Jace had to fight the urge to take a step back, as if her touch or her nearness could poison him. It was a ridiculous idea. After all, he was the one who'd screwed her life up, wasn't he? He could lie to her and turn his back on her, living his life as normally as he wanted-a life with Clary and his family, a life as a Shadowhunter.

"You got my letter."

Jace nodded. "I need to take you ho—" He paused before he could say 'home.' "I need to take you to the Institute with me," he said in an authoritative voice.

Charity blinked in surprise. "The Institute?" Her voice rose higher. "You're already putting me in a mental institution? You think I'm lying to you, don't you? You think I'm having these crazy hallucinations?"

People were giving them worried glances as they passed by, their heads ducked against the onslaught of wind and rain.

"You're not hallucinating," he said, ignoring the people around them. He was covered by a glamour. If they thought she was schizophrenic, that was her problem. Not his.

"So, I'm not hallucinating, but I'm just supposed to trust you and go to this...Institution?" She raised an eyebrow. "What kind of drugs are you on?"

He fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Look, do you want answers or not? I could have ignored your letter and lived my life the way I want to live it...without all...this," he said, gesturing to her protruding stomach.

"This?" she questioned, her voice rising again. "This? What, you think this child is some kind of it? Is this like those TV shows where the father of the baby dehumanizes-"

Jace pressed his lips into a thin line and grabbed the girl's wrist, pulling her into an alley. "You need to shut up," he said harshly. "People are staring at you like you're crazy, and if you keep it up, you _will _be in a mental asylum."

"Me?" she shrieked. "They're not staring at you?"

Jace ran his hands over his face and through his hair in frustration. His life had finally been nearly perfect and this had to happen. It just had to. He didn't even feel like saying the obvious 'They're always staring at me.' "You know how you told me in your letter that you've been seeing…things?"

Charity nodded, her lips pursed in anger and frustration.

"You shouldn't be seeing those things. You shouldn't even be seeing me right now."

The girl's eyebrows were raised now. "So you're telling me that I'm hallucinating you and everything else, and that this…this thing, here, in my stomach, is because I imagined you? You've got to be kidding me."

Jace groaned inside. Mundanes. They truly were thick headed. They weren't like Clary. Well…Clary had never been a mundane, although she was raised like one. Clary was, at heart, a Shadowhunter, which could very well explain her level of intelligence. He willed himself to be patient. "No," he said slowly, as if speaking to a five year old. "That's not what I meant. I mean that you're not supposed to see me. Most people can't see me. The only time people—normal people—can see me, is when I want them to. I'm…special."

Charity looked incredulous, and this time, Jace groaned out loud. He turned his back on her. "Just follow me," he said, his teeth gritted.

He couldn't believe he was going through with this.

* * *

They stopped outside the Institute, soaking wet. Jace finally turned back around to face Charity, who was shivering uncontrollably.

"Look," he said in a low voice, glancing up at the lit windows. "Whatever they say, whatever they ask, you can't tell them that…that you and I…well, you know. For all intents and purposes, that," he pointed at her stomach, "is not mine. Until I figure this out. Got it?"

Charity bit her lip and nodded. "What is this place?"

"This is the Institute." Jace pushed the gate open, not checking to see if Charity followed. He entered the church and pressed the call button for the elevator, glancing at a shivering Charity.

The elevator opened almost immediately and Jace's heart skipped a beat as Clary very nearly crashed into him. She looked up in surprise, and then grinned. "Oh! I was looking for you, but Izzy said you'd gone on another one of your walks." She glanced at his clothes. "You're soaking wet."

Guilt welled up in Jace's chest and he could feel Charity's eyes on him. He didn't betray his own emotions, however. He pulled Clary into him and held her tightly, dipping down to give her a quick kiss. "Are you going home now?" he asked.

"Well, I was going to stay," she said, glancing at Charity. "But it looks like you have more important things to worry about right now." She frowned.

"You don't have to go," he said in a low voice, turning her face back towards him, his fingers under her chin.

"Actually," she said. "I promised I'd help Mom with the new apartment. We can do something tomorrow, okay?" She smiled.

"Okay." Jace tried to hide his disappointment as he kissed her again, more deeply this time.

As soon as Clary disappeared and Jace and Charity were on the elevator, Jace's phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and read the text message.

_who is she?_

**she's this girl who I found on the street. Says shes pregnant. Says she can see the downworld and has been able to since she got pregnant. **

_oh wow. Do you think…maybe the father is a Shadowhunter or a downworlder?_

Another wave of guilt took ahold of his body, his heart plunging. **No idea. She says that every time she's gone to the doctor, the machines have gone…haywire.**

_Definitely Shadowhunter._

**Good job, Sherlock. Now go help your mother paint or whatever, before she castrates me for texting you.**

_O_o_

**;) Seriously, go. Love you.**

_Love you too._

Charity cleared her throat, stepping through the elevator doors as they opened, her hands clasped behind her back. "Was that your girlfriend?" she asked tentatively.

Jace avoided her eyes, slipping his phone into one of his leather jacket pockets. "Yeah."

"She seemed nice."

"Thanks." Jace glanced at her and sighed. "Follow me."

* * *

Maryse was bent over her desk in the library—the desk Jace still thought of as Hodge's desk—when the two teenagers entered. She looked up at them, her eyes hardening when she saw Charity.

"Jace," she said in a stern voice. "You have exactly thirty seconds to explain why you brought a mundane—a pregnant one at that—to the Institute. It better be a damn good reason, too."

"She says she's been able to see the Downworld since she got pregnant and that the machines at the doctor's office have been going haywire every time she visits. She expressed her concerns to a bar tender, who just so happened to be a werewolf, and the werewolf so kindly pointed her in my direction," he finished, his left foot tapping impatiently on the hardwood floor.

Maryse's gaze softened. "Oh, well. That's a bit of a different situation than I'd imagined, if you'll forgive me," she said, her apology directed toward Charity.

Jace recognized the tone Maryse was employing-used for dealing with people she didn't particularly like—people from Idris, for example, coming to visit New York and taking up temporary residence in the Institute. Except this time, it was directed toward a girl whom Maryse's son had probably impregnated.

Charity glanced at Jace. "I-I was just concerned. I'm not really sure what's happening. I'm thinking about being checked for schizophrenia."

Maryse stood up straight and rubbed her temples. "Well, we're required to house any mundanes seeking refuge from the Downworld, and you seem a special enough circumstance. Have Jace show you to a room. We'll explain some more about this world you've been introduced to in the morning."

Charity looked relieved to be finished with the conversation, but Jace was sorely disappointed. He'd been inching closer to the door the longer the conversation had continued and had been just about to run for his room when Maryse had given him the order to take the girl away from the library. He grimaced and threw the door open, stalking down the corridor, not bothering to wait for Charity to catch on and catch up.

When she finally did reach him, her breathing was labored, her movements painful to watch. "I get it now," she said thoughtfully.

Jace didn't answer.

"You know, when I met up with you earlier tonight, I thought you were just afraid of the responsibility of a baby. But you have a girlfriend, and a serious one at that."

Again, Jace didn't say anything. Five minutes later, they arrived at Charity's room. He opened the door for her. "Don't you dare even mention that we…hooked up. If you do, you'll be out on the streets again before you can even take another breath." He paused.

"And don't ever, _ever _think you can possibly understand me, my family, or this world. You never can and you never will."

With that, he slammed the door and stalked off toward his own room.

* * *

**This was a filler chapter. Sorry, my dears. I just wanted to give you SOMETHING. **

**Um. So. Finals are in a few weeks. AP testing is tomorrow. I don't know if I'll be updating for a bit…unless you're very nice to me. ;) That's the important author's note. This isn't going to be updating regularly yet.**

**IF YOU GIVE ME REAL REVIEWS AND LOTS OF THEM, I SHALL GIVE YOU SOME CLACE FLUFF IN THE NEXT CHAPTER. And there will be angst. Lots of angst. ;)**


	3. Anger

**This is a random, unimportant side note. TO ALL MY CHOIR PEEPS OUT THERE. If you want a really good choir song to listen to, look up We Once Again Beheld the Stars, by Z. Randall Stroope. Holy crap.**

* * *

Charity stared unseeingly at the door long after Jace had left, slamming it in his obvious anger and frustration. She understood why he was so upset, but did he have to take it out on her? He was the one who'd been too impatient to wear protection…

She sighed and flopped back onto the bed, which earned her an indignant kick to the bladder in response. She lay a hand over her stomach. "Oh, shut up," she groaned. "If it weren't for you, neither of us would be in this situation."

A kick to the ribs. She groaned again.

"Okay, okay. So it's not your fault. It's mine." She sighed again. "This sucks."

The room around her made her feel as if it would crumble at any moment, the ghosts of a bygone age slipping out of the walls to haunt her. Of course, that was her imagination. There were no such things as ghosts. Right?

There was a knock at the door, much to Charity's surprise. She pushed herself up on her elbows, furrowing her brow in confusion. "Yes?"

The door opened and a tall girl glided into the room, her long black hair pulled into a side braid. Charity couldn't help but feel threatened—both in her feminine power and her life.

"I'm Isabelle Lightwood," the girl said. "Jace's sister."

"But I thought—"

"He's adopted, but that doesn't mean he isn't just as much a part of this family as I am, or as our brother, Alec, is."

Charity frowned. "Why are you telling me this?"

Some fleeting emotion Charity couldn't identify passed over Isabelle's face, but it was gone in an instant. There was a long pause, and Charity was just about to ask the other girl to leave when Isabelle started talking again.

"Look," she breathed, her tone hardening. "You need to leave. I don't care where you go. You need to get out of this world before you wreck people's lives."

Charity blinked in surprise. "What the hell are you talking about? Jace brought me here because—because he seemed to be able to see the same things as me. I've been seeing all this-this _magic_ stuff, so—"

"Wrong," Isabelle interrupted. "If you were simply a girl pregnant with a Shadowhunter baby, Jace would have taken you to the Clave. They'd be able to take care of you better than us. But he didn't, which means he's scared."

Charity remained silent. Who _were _these people? And what was a Shadowhunter?

Isabelle leaned over. "I don't know who you are, and I don't know how you got pregnant with my brother's child—I frankly don't care—but if you ruin his life with this, you _will _regret it. I've already had to watch—" She stopped, her eyes widening.

Charity raised her eyebrows. "What?"

Isabelle looked at her as if just noticing she was there. "Nothing…just…go away, please, before you hurt anyone."

She began walking towards the door and was almost there when Charity stopped her.

"I get that you're worried about your brother, but it wasn't just my fault. It takes two to tango. Jace is just as much at fault here as I am…maybe even more. _He's _the one who didn't use protection. _He's _the one who dragged me into the back of the bar with him. I didn't ask for this."

Isabelle didn't turn around, but her shoulders were tense. "If you aren't gone in the morning…I swear, by the Angel, you will wish you never lived."

* * *

Jace ran his hands through his hair repeatedly, staring up at the ceiling.

_What to do? What do I do?_

There was a knock at his bedroom door and he propped himself up on one elbow. "What?" he practically growled.

The door opened a bit and Alec poked his head in. "Can I come in?"

Jace flopped back down onto the bed with a sigh and stared at the ceiling. "I guess."

Alec shut the door behind him and walked to Jace, sitting on the edge of the bed. "We need to talk about that girl…Chastity, or whatever."

Jace snorted. "It's Charity. Definitely not Chastity. And I don't particularly want to talk about her right now."

Alec didn't move. "Too bad. You made me talk to you about…about _him_, so I'm going to make you talk about _her_."

Jace sat bolt upright, his golden eyes ablaze. "There is only one _her _in my life, and it's sure as hell not Charity."

"Sorry."

Jace's shoulders slumped. "What do you want to talk about?"

Alec shrugged. "I don't know. Let's start with the fact that you _actually brought her home."_

"What was I supposed to do?"

"I don't know, send her to the Clave? Like you normally would?"

Jace didn't say anything. Alec peered at him, trying to read him, trying to catch any hint of emotion on his _parabatai's_ face.

"Unless you're hiding her from the Clave. Unless you don't want the Clave to track down who the father is…"

Again, Jace didn't say anything. Alec sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "What are you going to do?"

Jace shook his head. "I have no idea. I don't know for sure if it's mine, but Charity says I'm the only one she…hooked up with around that time, and suddenly she can see Downworld, so her story, unfortunately, makes sense. The Clave can't know. Clary definitely can't know. No one but you can know."

"I think Isabelle's figured it out," Alec murmured quietly.

"What?"

"I saw her storm out of Charity's room, looking like she was trying not to cry."

Jace ran his hands through his hair and muttered a string of curses. "Great. Fantastic."

"We can _help _you, Jace. You always act like you're in it alone, but you don't have to be. You have me. I'm your _parabatai _for God's sake! You have Izzy, she's your sister. We're all more than willing to help you out. I'm sure Clary would help you, too."

Jace glared at him. "Oh, sure, let me just knock on her front door and say 'Hey, Clary, you know how I had a lot of sex with random girls before we started dating? Well, I know you're my girlfriend and all, but this one girl tracked me down and she's pregnant with what's probably my baby! Can you help me out?' That'll go over well."

Alec looked like he was suppressing a laugh.

"It's not funny," Jace commented without looking at him. "You know how Clary is. She'll get angry, and she's scary when she's angry."

Alec lifted an eyebrow. "Are you scared of your own girlfriend?"

Jace shook his head. "No. I'm scared of hurting her. God knows, I've done it enough already."

"But those other times were understandable, Jace. You were both either under a lot of pressure, or…something supernatural was going on. Something uncontrollable and inexplicable. She understood all those times, what makes you think she won't understand this time?"

Jace looked at him. "Because this time, it's _my _fault. This time I could've controlled it. And now my stupid, thoughtless actions are going to hurt her."

Alec was silent for a moment. His expression softened. "She's going to be more hurt if you try and hide it from her."

"You don't know that."

"Actually, I do." Alec turned to face his _parabatai. _"Remember when Clary finally found her mother? Remember how angry she was? She wasn't angry because her mom hadn't managed to keep her safe. She was angry because her mom tried to hide everything she knew from her. She was angry because her mom made decisions for Clary without her permission. If Clary's going to be truly angry over this, then it's not necessarily going to be because the baby is yours, though, yes, she will be hurt. That can't be avoided. She's going to be angry at you because you took away her decision to be angry, or to help you and Charity."

"Then you know nothing about Clary," Jace muttered. He jumped off the bed and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him, and leaving an unsurprised Alec behind him.

* * *

**Okay, so, unfortunately, this fanfic ain't gonna have very long chapters. It isn't that kind of fanfic. But I'm on summer break so I will be updating at least every Monday from now on until July 28! It's my goal to finish all my fanfics this summer before my senior year starts! :) Anyway, enjoy! Review! Who do you think the father is? Do you think it's Jace? Do you think it's someone else? Do you think maybe Charity's being tricked? OR IS IT ALL A DREAM? Do you like Charity? **

**P.S. I put the conversation between Alec and Jace in here because I feel like we never see them actually being **_**parabatai **_**which irritates me because Will and Jem are so fabulous. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW.**


	4. Play Nice

"_Jace_!"

Clary scowled up at the golden haired boy and pushed herself up off of the training room floor. She picked her blade up, flexing her taped fingers and taking up a fighting stance. "You can't just _push _me down! That's cheating!"

The corner of Jace's mouth lifted into a smirk. "All's fair in love and war."

"So, which is this…love or war?"

Clary launched herself at Jace, her blade driving straight toward his heart. He brought up his own blade reflexively, blocking her aim and sending her back down onto the rubbery mat, where she skillfully rolled into a crouch, ready to jump again. Jace grinned. "Aren't they the same thing?"

Clary swiped at his legs, cutting through nothing but air as he jumped up—jumped up high onto the rafters. She glared up at him, her sword hanging limply at her side. "Cheating. Again. You know I can't jump that high."

"Well, as much as it pains me to admit, _I _can't destroy entire ships with a single magical drawing. So…technically, you cheated too."

She watched him with amusement as he climbed back down from the beams in the ceiling, landing in front of her with another smirk. "You should be thanking me," she said. "If it wasn't for my magical drawing ability, you'd be—"

She cut off suddenly, catching herself. _Dead._ It was still painful to talk about, and yet too often both she and Jace caught themselves talking about the Mortal War casually—too casually. It brought back an unrelenting torrent of memories that no one alive in the Shadowhunters' world was ready to relive yet.

Jace's expression softened and he gently took the blade from her hand. "I think we're done today," he said, walking over to the weapons rack and placing both blades in their correct spots. "Good job, Clary."

Clary only nodded as he took her hand and pulled her towards the door.

"Do you want to go to lunch or something? Taki's?"

Clary smiled again. "I think you have an obsession."

Jace's smirk came back. "What teenage boy doesn't?"

* * *

Clary stripped off her now sweaty tank top and Soffee shorts, leaving her in a sports bra and boy shorts. She tossed the clothes into her hamper and peeled the sports bra off her skin. She ran a hand through her damp hair, pulling the curly strands off of her neck, and stepped into the waiting shower. Sighing, she smiled and closed her eyes, letting the warm water run down her body, enveloping her in its soothing embrace.

_Everything is finally perfect._

* * *

Jace slid down the wall near the elevator, smiling a little as Church wandered over to him and crawled into his lap. "Hey, Church," he said quietly, scratching behind the cat's ears. "What have you been up to today?"

"Talking to a cat…I've officially decided that you're crazy."

Jace's smile vanished and he looked up to see Charity watching him, her eyebrows raised. He set the cat aside and stood up, leaning against the wall. "What are you doing?" he asked.

Charity glanced to the side. "Maurice gave me some money to go shopping with. For maternity clothes and—and…stuff."

Jace frowned a little. "Her name's _Maryse_, first of all. Second of all, why do you need new clothes? Why don't you just wear sweats or something?"

"Well, first of all," came another sickeningly familiar voice. "Maternity clothes are actually _flattering. _Second of all, sweats aren't going to last her much longer. They do have a stretch limit, you know."

Jace grit his teeth and Charity turned around to see the newcomer. She smiled.

"You must be Clary."

Clary nodded and held out her hand. Charity took it. "It's nice to finally have a name to go with the face. Sorry if all these Shadowhunters are bothering you, or making you feel uncomfortable." She lowered her voice to a whisper and glanced at Jace, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "They tend to be a little pretentious."

Charity laughed and nodded. "Aren't you a Shadowhunter?"

"Yeah. But, I've only been one for a few months. I didn't find out I was a Shadowhunter until I was almost 16."

Charity smiled. "Seems I have more in common with you than with anyone else here."

"Ditto," Clary returned, also smiling. "We should talk some time. Have lunch or something."

"I'm in. Whenever you want."

Clary nodded, moving over to Jace. "Feel free to smack this one upside the head if he ever bothers you, okay? I give you full permission."

"Well, I don't," Jace muttered.

Clary and Charity both laughed, and Clary threaded her fingers through his, squeezing his hand tightly. "That's because you don't want to allow yourself to be hit by a girl."

Jace looked up and trained his eyes on Charity. "Well, Charity. It's been a nice talk. I'll see you later."

Clary was still waving goodbye when Jace pulled her into the elevator and shut the gates.

Clary frowned at him. "You really need to treat her better than that, Jace. She isn't a disease. She's just a girl. She's just like me."

Jace turned to her, his golden eyes wide. "She isn't _anything _like you. _Nothing_."

Clary was silent for a moment. "You're right, Jace, she's not. I have you. She has no one. I have my family. The Angel knows where hers is. I'm leading a relatively normal life and she's having to deal with the judgment of nearly everyone who so much glances at her because she's a teenage girl and she's pregnant. I'm new to the Shadow World, but I'm a part of it. I belong in it. She's new to the Shadow World, and it's a world she's not even supposed to be able to see."

Jace didn't say anything.

"You could try being a little nicer to her. It won't kill you, I promise."

* * *

"So…how did you find her?" Clary asked, stealing one of Jace's fries and popping it into her mouth.

Jace looked at her a little blankly. "How did I find who?"

"That girl…Chastity."

Jace rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his hair. "It's Charity. Definitely not Chastity. And why do you want to know so bad?"

Clary frowned. "I feel bad for her."

Jace didn't say anything.

"I'm just curious. Why does everyone keep treating her like she's a disgusting bug that needs to be stepped on?"

Jace took a sip of his drink. "I found her in a bar. She was drunk, and she was rambling on and on about the things she'd been seeing since she got pregnant, and then she looked at me. She saw me even though I was glamoured. So, I took her home with me."

Guilt twisted in his stomach, knotting up and growing bigger by the minute. He hated lying. He hated lying to Clary. He knew what Alec had said was right. Clary would be angrier if she found out he had been hiding everything from her. But could she really help him? _Would _she really help him? Would she be able to help him raise the baby, find a decent place for it to live, help him find money to support it?

Would she be able to see him as the boy whom she loved instead of the boy who had betrayed her, even if it had been before they'd met? Could she look past the fact that there was a giant elephant in the room, constantly reminding her of the fact that she wasn't the first person he would have sex with?

Clary just nodded. "Any ideas on the species of the father?"

Jace shook his head. "No clue."

* * *

**Okay, short chapter, lo siento. I was really disappointed with the amount of reviews on the last chapter. Can I get a few extras for updating so soon? What do you think? Still hate Charity? Still feel no pity? You heartless pieces of metal. ;) That I love.**


	5. Bonding

**I know, I know. It's been almost a month.**

**I'm in Les Miserables and I have nine hour rehearsals. Give me a break ;)**

* * *

Clary knocked on Isabelle's door.

"Who is it?" Isabelle called out, sounding irritable.

Clary pushed open the door. "What the hell is everyone's problem lately? Everyone's so…edgy."

Isabelle looked at Clary in surprise. "Oh…I guess it's just…having a mundane in the Institute. It's not normal."

"She's not a disease."

Isabelle gave Clary a look that resembled pity, though Clary had no idea why.

"I know that," Isabelle said. "It's just…hard for us. Please just accept that and leave it alone."

Clary furrowed her brow. "Okay…well, I was wondering if you wanted to come with me and Charity to lunch. You know, some girl time."

Isabelle laughed a little at that. "Clary Fray wants _girl time_?" She shook her head. "Next, you'll be wanting to go shopping for something other than pastels. I think I'll sit this one out. You take her and get to know her. Angel knows, I'll probably just ruin everything."

Clary felt mildly disappointed, but Isabelle always had her reasons, and she had good intuition. If Izzy felt like it was a good idea not to go, then it was probably for the best. Clary nodded. "All right. I'll see you later. If you see Jace, you can tell him where I am, if he asks. Or, better yet, just tell him to text me."

"Bye, Clary."

"Bye Iz."

* * *

"So, your name's Charity?" Clary asked, twirling a french fry between her index finger and her thumb.

The girl across from her nodded, her dark hair slipping into her eyes. She pushed it away impatiently. "Yeah."

"Can I ask where the name came from?"

Charity's lips lifted into a small smile. "You just did."

Clary popped the fry into her mouth. "So where _did _it come from?"

A sad look passed over Charity's face. "My mother named me Charity because she told the doctors that charity was what I'd be raised on. That the only way she could ever support me was if someone took pity on her and gave her food or money."

Clary looked taken aback, her green eyes wide. "Oh…I—"

"She hated charity. Any form of it. She was too proud. She never took money, never took food given to her. I was taken away from her when I was seven and then I lived in foster homes until I was 18," Charity said bitterly, not looking at Clary.

A thousand images flashed through Clary's head. She'd seen the kids raised in foster homes at school. The abused ones, physically, mentally, emotionally, sexually abused. They were bitter. They were defensive.

They needed to be loved.

Clary instantly felt sorry for the girl in front of her. She reached across the table and took Charity's hand in hers, giving the girl a smile. "Well, you certainly overcame that."

Charity looked up at her in surprise. "What?"

"Look at you," Clary said, releasing her hand and leaning back in the booth. "You're beautiful. You're healthy. You seem educated. I've known a lot of kids in your exact same position who ended up as drug addicts or worse, but not you. You've thrived under these conditions, and then when something crazy and impossible happens," Clary said, gesturing to Charity's abdomen, "you don't give up. You're staying at the Institute, despite the fact that everyone there is treating you like crap. You didn't just get scared and opt out of the pregnancy. You're fighting. That's amazing."

Charity's chocolate colored eyes were widened in surprise. "I'm not—" she stuttered, "I'm not any of those things. I get drunk. I go clubbing. I—I have a lot of sex. That's what got me into this situation in the first place. I got drunk and hooked up with—"

The girl clapped a hand over her mouth suddenly and turned pale. Clary leaned forward, concerned.

"Charity? Are you okay?"

Charity shook her head and shot out of the booth, bolting for the bathroom.

Clary got up to follow her, and was almost there, when her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out and unlocked the screen.

**Where are you?**

She shouldered the door and rolled her eyes, quickly texting Jace back.

_Relax. I just took Charity out to lunch. If you all can't be friendly to her, I will be._

Instantly, her phone buzzed again.

**Can you please tell me next time, so I don't have an aneurism when I wake up to find my bed devoid of my girlfriend?**

_Oh. Yeah. Sorry. _

**By the Angel, woman. **

_What? Can't stand to be without your little toy for more than five minutes?;)_

**Five minutes? Try five seconds. ;)**

_You can't even do anything in five seconds, Jace._

**Is that a challenge? :)**

_Certainly not._

Clary, rolling her eyes again, pocketed her phone a walked up to the only locked stall in the room. "Charity? Are you okay?"

There was a coughing noise from inside the stall. "I-I think so. I just felt sick for a minute. Sorry."

Clary got on her hands and knees and crawled under the stall to find Charity knelt at the porcelain toilet bowl, her glossy hair falling in a curtain around her face.

"Are you sure?"

Charity shook her head briefly. It was at that moment that her lunch decided to reappear. Clary leapt up and immediately pulled the girl's hair out of her face, rubbing her back soothingly.

"You've got this. You can do this."

Charity sat back, wiping her mouth with a swatch of toilet paper, tears streaming down her face. "What if I can't? I don't know what's happening to me. I don't know what's in my stomach. I don't even know if it's human, Clary, and it terrifies me. It's just—" she hiccupped, "it's all happening so fast."

Clary leaned over and flushed the toilet, sitting on the ground next to Charity, still rubbing the girl's back. "You know exactly what's in your stomach. That's your child. Your son or daughter. What does it matter if they have physical differences that no one else seems to have? So what if they have cat eyes, or green skin? So what if they have the unnaturally bright eyes of a faerie? So what if they transform into a wolf every full moon? So what if they have the Angel's blood running in their veins? They're still your flesh and blood. Still your child. They're still going to be looking to you for love and support. Are you going to give that to them, or are you going to abandon them?"

Charity wiped her face with the back of her hand. "I will not be my mother."

Clary smiled. "See? You're already doing a great job. Loving your child no matter what: that's the first step to being a phenomenal parent."

* * *

"Does she know yet?"

Jace grit his teeth and shook his head, his blond curls falling into his eyes. "No. Stop asking me."

Alec looked at him disapprovingly. "You need to tell her, Jace."

"I _know _that! By the Angel, will everyone stop being so persistent about it? You, and Izzy, and Maryse—"

"Mom knows?" Alec looked taken aback.

Jace nodded silently, picking at his bed sheets.

"And she hasn't gone to the Clave yet?"

"She wants to give it time, she said. She wants to give Charity time to adjust before being bombarded by the Council and the Silent Brothers."

"What are you waiting for, Jace? You want the mundane to give birth to a Shadowhunter who mysteriously looks just like you? Or maybe it'll have brown hair and gold eyes? Or maybe blond hair and brown eyes? Or—"

"SHUT UP, ALEC."

Alec blinked.

Jace ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "Just shut up. No, of course I don't want her to find out that way. I'm not an idiot. I just—everything was finally okay, and now… I just don't know if Clary will be able to forgive me for this one."

Alec's expression softened and he took his _parabatai's _hand. "Of course she'll forgive you, Jace. She _loves _you. Will she be hurt? Yes. Of course. Who wouldn't? She might even ignore you for a while. But put yourself in her position."

"I'd be furious. I'd want to murder the bastard who put his—"

"Yes, Jace, we know. But would you be able to forgive Clary?"

Jace looked at him, feeling almost insulted. "Of course. She's Clary."

"Right," Alec said. "She's _your _Clary. And you're _her _Jace. She's not going to leave you because of a choice you made before you even met her. That wouldn't be fair to either of you."

Jace studied his brother. "That's what you have to deal with, with Magnus, isn't it? He's so old…"

A brief look of pain flashed across the other boy's face before he nodded. "But I still love him. For all the countless people he's been with, I still love him no matter what. Refusing to love him on those terms would be unfair to the both of us."

"But Charity's pregnant—"

"And if warlocks could have children, who knows how many Magnus would have? It doesn't matter to me anymore, Jace. He's still Magnus. I still love him because of who he is. Not because of what he's done. Clary loves you for the same reasons."

Jace nodded silently.

"I'll tell her when she comes back from lunch."

* * *

**Okay! This chapter was all right, I guess. Let me know what you think? Do you think Jace will chicken out? Or will he really tell Clary? What will her reaction be? PLEASE REVIEW.**


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